Latest news with #churchfire
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Community unites after fire damages historic church building
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Parishioners from the St. John the Baptist Church in Maria Stein went to mass this Sunday at the Precious Blood Church over in Chickasaw. The church community was invited to the nearby church because of a massive fire that heavily damaged the 135-year-old building on Thursday evening. 'A big loss': Church steeple, roof collapse in massive Maria Stein fire 2 NEWS spoke with two community members about the drastic change in their lives, Ted and Sarah Burgmen, who live close to St. John's. 'It's like our world changed,' said Sarah, 'we thought of all the baptisms, first communions, weddings and funerals which happened there. Over 135 years is quite a history of things that can't be replaced.' The pair spoke on how the community is looking forward. 'People will rebuild that church,' said Ted. 'The building's gone, but the people aren't.' 'The building is a building, but the church is our community,' said Sarah. The two churches have been closed before. When St. John's was being repainted, Precious Blood invited over their parish for four months. 'Everybody works with each other,' shared Ted. 'This is one great big community here.' Maria Stein community assesses damage after devastating church fire Dr. James 'Jim' Schwieterman spoke with 2 NEWS as he visited the fence outside of St. John. 'This is my community,' said Schwieterman. 'All the sacraments for me, my mother, my grandparents and my great grandparents, all started here at St. John's church. They say 'you try to make the unreal real' and so you come out here to process the loss.' He continued, speaking on rebuilding. 'I was asked, 'do you think they'll rebuild?' and I said I know they will. It's not an if, it's a when. The local community, Catholic and not alike, we band together. It's who we are, it's what we're about.' 2 NEWS will follow the St. John's community through these next steps. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- The Independent
A man who burned down a Missouri church has been sentenced to more than 9 years in prison
A man who admitted in federal court to setting the fire that destroyed an eastern Missouri church has been sentenced to more than nine years in prison and ordered to pay the church nearly $7 million. The sentence for Christopher Scott Pritchard, 49, was imposed Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp over the April 2021 fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints building in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) southeast of St. Louis. Pritchard pleaded guilty in December to one felony count of arson and another felony count of arson to a building used in interstate commerce. The federal public defender representing Pritchard declined comment Wednesday. The interstate commerce charge came with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years, and the judge ordered Pritchard to serve nine years and three months. Prosecutors dropped two other felony charges involving damage to religious property. Authorities have said that two days before the fire, Pritchard threatened to assault a bishop and 'burn the church down.' Officers found more than $1,000 in items belonging to the church in Pritchard's backpack, including a laptop, tools and 21 apples, and he smelled like smoke, police said.
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Associated Press
A man who burned down a Missouri church has been sentenced to more than 9 years in prison
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — A man who admitted in federal court to setting the fire that destroyed an eastern Missouri church has been sentenced to more than nine years in prison and ordered to pay the church nearly $7 million. The sentence for Christopher Scott Pritchard, 49, was imposed Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp over the April 2021 fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints building in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) southeast of St. Louis. Pritchard pleaded guilty in December to one felony count of arson and another felony count of arson to a building used in interstate commerce. The federal public defender representing Pritchard declined comment Wednesday. The interstate commerce charge came with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years, and the judge ordered Pritchard to serve nine years and three months. Prosecutors dropped two other felony charges involving damage to religious property. Authorities have said that two days before the fire, Pritchard threatened to assault a bishop and 'burn the church down.' Officers found more than $1,000 in items belonging to the church in Pritchard's backpack, including a laptop, tools and 21 apples, and he smelled like smoke, police said.
